As part of the concert series »Unerhörte Musik«, the Polish pianist Elżbieta Sternlicht presented two German premieres, »Sto lat« (1998) by Piotr Lachert and »Epitaph« (2001) by Wilhelm von Grunelius. For the first time in Berlin, she also performed Luciano Berio’s »Sonata per pianoforte solo« (2001).
In his »Sonata«, Berio remains true to his own aesthetic and compositional principles and makes ample use of avant-garde sound techniques. The »Sonata« with its light, romantic aura and its air of great virtuosity helped the soloist towards a sensational stage performance.
The piano recital with Elżbieta Sternlicht, who has long devoted herself to performing lesser-known compositions and new music, was extraordinarily successful and met with thunderous applause.
Krzysztof Rottermund
Ruch Muzyczny, Warsaw, 13 June 2004
Kurier Polonica, Berlin, July 2004